Apparatus for propelling rotary motors.



Y PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906- J. M SMALL, APPARATUS FORPROPBLLING ROTARYIMOT'ORS.

Arrmonlo'nrnnn mmze. 190a.

- 2 SHEETS-413E121 1.

w rrnsss'es PATENTED JUNEHIWIEQIJQIQOQ;

' I Ti-1M SMALL. v

APPARATUS FOR BRO'PELLING ROTARY MOTORS.

' APPLICATION rlLnn M16126, 1903.

'. WITNESSES 1 P TEN i JAMES :MILN s MALL, or" nerti inemen Np} l APPARATUS: onPROPELLINGfi-Rb'fA- YMotorists Specification of IiettersBate-na f f?k atenteujTuneiQ;

Application filed. August 26, 1903. sesame. 1170320.

To all whom it mot/ 2) concern/.-- I

Be it'known that I, JAMES MILN SMALL,

civil engineer, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at No.17 Vic- 5,- teria street, Westminster, London, England, 1

have invented certain new and useful Apparatus for 'Prop'elling Rotary Motors, (for which I'have applied for a patent in Great Britain, filed July 28,1903, Serial No. 16,584,) :0 ofiwhich the following is a specification,

tore-utilizing the energy. derivable from the ,QQIIlbllSillOll of a mixture of air and gas or vaipor for the propulsion of turbine orotherro partef the motor is subjectedtoa practica ly continuous stream of pressure fluid resulting fromsuch combustion, and, secondly,

method in practice.

The apparatus COIl'SlStS, essentially, in the employment of a number of'combustion ciently high toignite the mixture o'fair and gas or vapor when thesaid gas or vapor is subsequently admitted or pumped into the combustion-chamber. Instead of thegas or vapor a sufficient (:iuantity ofa suitable oil may be introduce chamber. In this way the motor tobe propelled is supplied in succession from each of a number of combustion-chambers with a certain volume of fluid under pressure, and by employing a su'fficient number ,of combustion-chambers and working them at a sufiicient rate the variation of pressure of the Working fluid on the supply side of the motor can be madeas small asmay be desired In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a section of one of the series of combustion chambers construct-ed according-t0 this in? vention and of the apparatus used. for operating the supply and outlet valves of 'a series of six such chambers, s Fig. 2 is a-longitudi-f,

nal section of thevalve-operating device or 55 distributing valve," and Fig, 3 is a diagram v .chest e. 'Thls inventionrelates, first, to'apparatus tary motors in such a manner that the movto apparatus adapted to carry out first vadmitted to the combustion-chamber through a non-return or other suitable valve under pressure'and at a temperature sufli into the combustion' j matic plan'view-showing as rieeol corn{ bustion-chambers with connectionsto a dis,

tributing-valve devicefo'r such 'series and withthe delivery-pipe andair-supplygpipe; 6 Q

means otan. equilibrium va ve c in the valve-- A chest 0' and witha; pipe (I, leadingto amotor,

:A 'combustiomchamber. a commun cates by'nieans of arsimilar valvee in the valve A cylinder f, which Works a dou'ble pis ton ,'forms, with. the latter,- an annulus g, 7

Which is in communication at one position of g the piston ,With a pipe 9; through 'Which oil, gas, or vapor is supplied under pressure, and at another position of the piston with a number of holes h in the Wall of the cylinderl ead-- ing'to the combustion chamber.

When the 'apparatu's'is intended for use 5,

with oil,-it is advisable, as shown in. Fig. 1, to. provide means for expelling lnto the combustion-chamber, "under a high-pressure,- the,

1 harge' of oil contained in theannulu h r; 'tWeen the doublepistonfandthe Wallsnof, the cylinderf, soas to spraythe oil through 3 vv the holes 7t and secure the. admixture'of combustible charge. This may conveniently be done by provi in the cylinder g'a duct h, leadingfrom The s indl'es c? e f 'of thelvalves c e f tare I provide with pistons c fflworkmgm 0Y1", 1

inders c e f, each of which-is providedwithv I i an outlet 0 e f" to the atmosphere and has 9 v an opening at its lower-fend connected by a. j

pipe 0 eff to a'chamber in the casing of the distributing Valve. The cylinder 0 1s thus;

connected to the segmental annular chamber,

'i, the cylindere withthe*chamber--7c,and the .95

cylinder f with'the chamber-l Allthese chambers are situated in the same transverse plane of a casingm andhav'e-por-ts p q 1" opening to the interior of the'casi'ng, surface of the. casing 'isa cylinder, coax al '1 0. with and closely fitting which is a hollow=cyl'-.. "r

- inder n, which'has a number of ports or passages connectingits inner and outer surfaces.- Of these passages one-fry, connects thentei rior of the cylinder'n, with anannularcham-1 W5 I tber m inthe casing m, this annular chamber being c'diinected'[permanently-tothe-pipe b J by the to a sourceof air under pres- I, sure throug a controlling apparatus, as 5, hereinafter described.

"The inside b or t'o-an'other suitable d another, "o,'- s .1

ifthe'sw e 30 f and the expulsion and n successively with the ports'p r as the cylinder n is rotated. Thee lin' er 'n ma I arranged to be driven by t 'e motor itse f, or

it may be driven independently thereof by 5 an electric motor'n? or other suitable means,-

the latter arran ement being preferable=as providing an in ependent means of varying the output of the motor. i

When the passageo registers with the port I p, compressed air is admitted from the supply-pipe b to the chamber 'i and the pipe 0, eadmg therefrom. The piston c is therefore raised and the valve 0 opened, a charge of "compressed air being thereby admitted into 5 the combustion-chamber a from the supplypipe I). When the piston c has traveled beyond the exhaust-passage c and the cylinder n rotated far enou h to cut-ofl communication between the chain ers'i and m, the piston c Will fall, and the valve 0 will be held c osed by the pressure inside the combustion-chamber. The, cylinder 1 next connects, through its ports,- the chambers m Z, and the piston f is raised to the position in which it LS shown in 2 5' Fi 1 and with it the charge of oil in the annu us g. When this annulus comes into com munication with the discharge-holes h, the

. piston f 3 at the same time uncovers the end here in l, the pressure in the cylinder f 4 is reduced to that of the atmosphere, and the piston-valve returns to its lowest position under the pressure of'the gases in the combustionchamber. The continued rotation of the 49 cylindern connects the chambers m k, and the valve e is opened by'air-pressure on the piston e, and the compressed products of come bustion resulting from the ignition of the combustible charge in the chamber a'is admitted to the pipe d, and thence to the-motor,

to be driven when the piston e uncovers the.

passage c and the cylinder n by its continued rotation closes the communication between chambers m k, the ressure in the cylinder e 50 is reduced to-that' o the atmosphere,-and the valve e'returns to the closed osition. The valves ofa number of si the; rotary airpressure valve 11/, sets of segmental annular chambers ilc Z i k Z3, having ports communicating with the interior of the casingv m, being successively connected with the ports 0 0 &c., leading to the interior to the cylindern, and thence to the compressed-air supply.

The casing n is shown arranged foroperatng-the valves of six combustion-chambers, m which case when compressed air is being admitted to the first'combustion-chamber the second chamber willhave received its ar explosionchambers. are similarly operated by means of char of compressed air and will be awaiting the jection of the oil, the third chamber be receiving, the charge of oil, the fourth will have received the charge of oil and combustier; will have taken place, the fifth will be dischar 'ng the products ofcombustion to the tur ins, and the sixth will have completed its discharge and will be awaiting the reception of a freshcharge of compressed air. The time occupied by this sequence of operations depends solely upon the speed of rota. tion'of the cylinder n, which can be varied at will.

Preferably the compressor supplying the compressed air to the pipe b, as Well as the valve-controlling apparatus, is driven from an independent source of power, such as an electric motor; but this independent motor may be dispensed with, in which case a storage-reservoir for compressed air is provided and the valve-controlling device operated by hand until the turbine is started, when com pressor and controlling device will then be driven from the motor.

When gas or vapor is used instead of oil, the

oil-cylinder f and piston f may be replaced by a valve-chest and equilibrium-valve similar to those used for the compressed-air charge and the duct k may be dispensed with.

The interiors of the combustion-chambers may be lined with a fire-resisting material, and their exteriors, as also the exteriors of the valve chests, may be surrounded by waterjackets or other means of cooling.

Having thus described the nature of this invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical effect, I claim- 1. Apparatus for propelling turbines or other rotary motors, comprising a combustion-ehamberprovided with valves communicating respectively with a supply of compressed air, a su ply of oil, gas, or vapor under pressure, an a discharge-pipe leading to the motor to be driven, and means for successively operating the valves directly by the compressed-air su ply.

' '2. Apparatus or'propelling turbines or other rotary motors, com rising a series of combustion-chambers eac provided with valves communicating respectively with a supply of compressed air, a su ply of oil, gas or vapor under ressure, an a discharge- -pipe leading to t e motor to be driven, and

means for successivelyoperating the valves in each chamber with respect to each other and to the valves in the other chambers of the series directly by the compressed-air supply; substantially as described.

3. Apparatus for propelling turbines or other rotary motors, comprising a series of combustion-chambers each provided with valves communicating respectively with a compressed-air supply, a supplv of oil, gas or vapor under pressure; and aischarge-pipe 'leading to the motor to be driven, and means by which the individual valves 111 each of the combustion-chambers are successively operated with respect to each other and'corre sponding valves in the seriesof chambers are successively o erated with respect to each other directly v the compressed air supply; subtantially as described.

4. Apparatus for propelling turbines or other rotary motors, comprisin a combustion-chamber provided with va ves communicating respectively with a supply of com= pressed air, a su ply of oil, gas or vaporunder pressure, an a discharge-pipe leading to the motor to be driven, pistons attached to each of the valve-rodsand working in cylinders. and means for successively connecting each of the cylinders ;to a supply of (0111a pressed air: substantially as described.

5. Apparatus for propelling turbines or other rotary motors, GOIll H lSlIlg a series of combustion-elmnihcrs eaciprovided with valves communicating respectively with a supply of compressed air, a su i'ply of oil. gas or vapor under ressure, am a dischargepipe leading to 1; 1e motor to be driven. pis

tons attached to each of the valve-rods and working in cylinders, and means hv which the individual cylinders of each combustion-'- chamber and. also the correspondingcylinders of the series of chambers arc'succes? sivcly connected to a supply ofcompressed ir; substantially as described.

6. i-lpparatus for propelling. turbines or other rotary motors, ,comprisine a coinbusl-lOll-Uhztlll'btP'TflOVldttl with va ves communicating-rcspcctively with a'supply of compressed airfa supply of oil. gas or vapor under pressure. and a discharge-pipc leodin to the motor to be driven, pistons attached -to each ohthe valve-rods and working in cylinders which are in communication with chant:

bers in a valve-casing, and a'l'otary valve;

adapted to connect the dchainbers succe sively to a suppl; of compressed air; substantially as described.

. 7. Apparatus for propelling turbines or other rotary *motors, com rising a series; of combustion-chambers eac provided valves communicating respectively with .it

-\ compressed-air supply, a suppl of oil, gas or' go vapor under-pressure, and a ischarge-pipe eadin -to the motor to be driven, pistons at tache to each of the valve-rodsandworking in cylinders which are connected by pipes with chambers in a vi lve-casin'g, and a rotary 55 iston adapted to. connect each of the chamhers to a supply compressed air, the' said chambers being, Z0 arranged that the'individual valves in each combustion-chamber and also corresponding'valves in the series of 6c chambers are successively operated with respect to each other; substantially as described. I

81in apparatus of the kind herein de- 1 scribed a cc'mbustio chamber a valve for'd5 the admission of the charge of oil to the corhbus'tion-chamber comprising a double piston-valve working in a val-ve'casing, a second" piston attached to the valve-rod and working-in a cylinder arranged tofbe con- 70 nected with a sup ly of compressed air, an oil-inlet in the vave-casing, a plurality of.

" snmll channels in the valve-casing communi- 

